Wednesday, November 23, 2005

POL Group Tells New Orleans - We Told You So

The odd skateboarding group Pave Our Lake whose goals were, well to obviously pave over the lake in order to create a 630 square mile skate park has finally chimed in regarding Hurricane Katrina. The following statement was culled from NOYC's message board...

Pave Our Lake Spokesman: "Told You So."

Weeks after Hurricane Katrina left New Orleans in a state of chaos and ruin, the Pave Our Lake movement is adding its voice to the growing criticism of the city, state, and federal officials.

"We told you so," said spokesman Wayne Boudreaux at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

"For years we've been printing thousands of bumper stickers warning the citizens of New Orleans about the risks posed by Lake Pontchartrain," Mr. Boudreaux continued. "Unfortunately, our warnings went unheeded. And we've all witnessed the tragic results."

"If the citizens of New Orleans had only listened to us, there would have been no water to break the 17th Street and London Canal levees. In fact, the lake could have been used as a staging area for rescue operations inside the flooded city."

In response to the floods caused by Katrina, the group has proposed new initiatives designed to protect the below-sea-level city.

"Paving the spillway, the Mississippi River, and the Industrial Canal could protect the city against a Category 5 hurricane," explained Boudreaux. "We look forward to working with officials planning the reconstruction of New Orleans in the months and years to come."

This is to me a great example of thinking outside of the box. Maybe the skateboarders were on to something. It would actually be cheaper than Tim Kusky's idea of relocating an entire city...